May 19, 2014

Ed Miliband's "intellectual self-confidence"

There is more to "intellectual self-confidence" than believing in things a lot.

But Janan's argument (supple as usual) is too kind to the Labour leader.

It is easier for Mr Miliband to believe in his intellect because he lacks imagination. He cannot conceive that people affected by his policies might take avoiding action. It is the Gosplan view of human beings as cogs in a machine. Now where did he get *that* from, I wonder!

(We can also see his lack of imagination in PMQs, where all too often he can't think on his feet.)

Secondly, like his brother and oddly for a politician, he flinches from making decisions.

An indecisive PM is surely like a pacific medieval monarch - begging to be swept aside.